design elements - San Jacinto Texas Historic District

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VEGETATION OF THE COASTAL PRAIRIE PROVINCE OF THE SAN JACINTO RIVER At the time of European sett lement, the coastal province of the area between San Jacinto and the Gulf of Mexico was low, fl at, and everywhere vegetated by prairie. The water table was at or near the surface in most places, but in some areas, where the land undulated to form low mounds, there grew copses of open-grown trees, mostly oaks, a few pines. A few of the last remnants of this coastal vegetation is still extant at the Armand Bayou Nature Center, in Pasadena, Texas. For the thousands of years prior to Western sett lement, this vegetation was sustained at a fecund, maximum biodiversity by occasional grazing and regular fi res set by the native peoples. Overgrazing, fi re suppression, and various forms of development have all but obliterated the once beautiful and unique landscape of this area. Although there is some burning at the Armand Bayou preserve, if it’s combustible tracts were burned annually, it would represent the San Jacinto area as among the more fecund, unique, and beautiful landscapes of the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico. The verges with the estuaries along the San Jacinto and smaller drainages were treeless marshes, infi nitely enervated by shallow, narrow, estuarine channels. Those wetlands most dramatically infl uenced by salt-water tides are characterized by fringes or fl ats of Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alternifl ora) and or Black Rush (Juncus roemerianus). Tule (Typha domingensis) is the common catt ail. On the more subtle rises more under the infl uence of fresh water fl owages from the hinterland are formed brackish marshes and wet meadows of Marsh-hay Cordgrass (Spartina patens), along with scatt erings of grasses and rushes such as Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), Sea Club Rush (Bulboschoenus robustus), Sword Grass (Schoenoplectus americanus), California Bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus), Needlerush (Juncus eff usus) and Seashore Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum). Such marshes are punctuated with the yellow fl owers of the low subshrub, Sea Oxeye Daisy (Borrichia frutescens) or the purple-fl owerd Seaside Gerardia (Agalinis maritima). Gulf cordgrass (Spartina spartinae) is also widespread in the coastal prairies, most usually situated on the interfaces between the marshes and the low rises. Typical of the area is the shrub or small tree, Sea Myrtle (Baccharis halimifolia) and the bushy perennial Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens). The tidal fl ats are characterized by curious succulents such as the glassworts (Salicornia bigeelovii and Salicornia virginica), along with Vidrillos (Batis maritima). 154 │ APPENDICES These watery sloughs were the spawning areas of the countless millions of fi sh that inhabited the western districts of the Gulf of Mexico. The marshes, prairies, and oak groves were the much sought-after growingseason homes of countless birds, many of whom had wintered in the Yucatan and other subequatorial districts. Most of the province was overlain by prairies dominated by warm-season grasses and wildfl owers, which passed gradually into the estuarine marshes. Wildfl owers and perennial grasses and sedges of the area were numerous and profuse throughout the prairies. In those areas that received regular fi re along with light grazing there were as many as twenty or more diff erent fl owering species in just a few square feet of area---each such small area unique in composition even from those nearby. The beauty of the warp and weft of life was indescribable. Many of these fl owering plants are of ornamental quality and a few are available in local nurseries. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U. S. Geological Survey have described these coastal prairies most beautifully in an article entitled, Paraise Lost. [htt p://library.fws.gov/pubs/paradise_lost.pdf] ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION Historically, there were probably 700-800 vascular plant species native to the San Jacinto area. If an ecological restoration were to be att empted as a landscape feature, it is from among these species that the restoration should consist. Most will not be available in the nursery trade, so the seed will have to be secured from the few local remnants, in consilience with a seed-collecting protocol as presented by the sponsor of the remnant. Most perennial beds have plants in drifts on 12-24” centers. Most of the native perennials are interdependent on from 10-30 diff erent species per quartermeter square, along with an array of insects and soil fungi. Consequently, many of these species will not last even fi ve years as perennial plantings in urban and suburban contexts. Insofar as management and maintenance is concerned, there can be no successful natural restoration without the use of regular applied landscape fi res.
Characteristic native grasses and sedges, which formed the matrix within which most of the animal life and wildfl ower perennials and low shrubs are imbedded include: Andropogon gerardii BIG BLUESTEM GRASS Andropogon glomeratus BUSHY BLUESTEM GRASS Andropogon ternarius SPLIT-BEARD BLUESTEM GRASS Andropogon virginicus BROOMSEDGE Anthaenantia rufa PURPLE SILKYSCALE Aristida oligantha PRAIRIE THREE-AWN GRASS Aristida purpurascens PURPLE THREE-AWN GRASS Bothriochloa exaristata AWNLESS BLUESTEM GRASS Bothriochloa laguroides SILVER BLUESTEM GRASS Bouteloua curtipendula SIDE-OATS GRAMA Carex caroliniana CAROLINA SEDGE Carex cherokeensis CHEROKEE SEDGE Carex complanata FLATTENED SEDGE Carex frankii FRANK’S SEDGE Carex fl accosperma THIN-FRUITED SEDGE Carex intumescens SHINING BUR SEDGE Chasmanthium latifolium INLAND SEA OATS Chasmanthium sessilifolium SPIKEGRASS Ctenium aromaticum TOOTHACHE GRASS Cyperus pseudovegetus SWEET SEDGE Cyperus virens GREEN FLATSEDGE Dichanthelium aciculare AWL PANIC GRASS Dichanthelium acuminatum SHARP PANIC GRASS Dichanthelium commutatum VARIABLE PANIC GRASS Dichanthelium dichotomum FORKED PANIC GRASS Dichanthelium laxifl orum LAX-FLOWERED PANIC GRASS Dichanthelium linearifolium NARROW-LEAVED PANIC GRASS Dichanthelium scribnerianum SCRIBNER’S PANIC GRASS Eleocharis microphylla SMALL-FRUITED SPIKERUSH Elymus canadensis CANADA WILD RYE Eragrostis hypnoides MOSS LOVEGRASS Eragrostis spectabilis SMALL-FLOWERED PURPLE LOVEGRASS Erianthus giganteus SUGARCANE PLUME GRASS Juncus brachycarpa WHITE-ROOT RUSH Juncus marginatus MARGINED RUSH Juncus validus STRONG RUSH Leptochloa dubia GREEN SPRANGLETOP Muhlenbergia capillaris GULF-COAST MUHLY Nassella leucotricha TEXAS WINTERGRASS Panicum anceps BEAKED PANIC GRASS Panicum hians GAPING PANIC GRASS Panicum bergii BERG’S PANIC GRASS Panicum texanum TEXAS PANIC GRASS Panicum virgatum SWITCHGRASS Paspalum fl oridanum FLORIDA PASPALUM Paspalum plicatulum BROWN-SEED PASPALUM Rhynchospora caduca FALLING BEAKRUSH Rhynchospora colorata WHITE-TOPPED SEDGE Rhynchospora corniculata HORNED BEAKRUSH Rhynchospora globularis GLOBE BEAKRUSH Schizachyrium scoparium LITTLE BLUESTEM GRASS Scleria ciliate FRINGED NUTSEDGE Scleria paucifl ora FEW-FLOWERED NUTRUSH Setaria geniculata KNEE FOXTAILI Sorghastrum nutans INDIAN GRASS Spartina spartinae GULF CORDGRASS Sporobolus compositus ROUGH DROPSEED Sporobolus junceus PINEWOODS DROPSEED Stipa leucotricha TEXAS SPEAR Tipsacum dactyloides EASTER GAMA GRASS Tridens strictus LONG-SPIKED TRIDENS Characteristic wildfl owers, whose fl owers dance just above the grasses as the season moves from spring to fall, include: Acalypha gracilens THREE-SEEDED MERCURY Achillea millefolium YARROW Acmella oppositifolia SPOTFLOWER Agalinis fasciculata CLUSTER-LEAVED GERARDIA Agalinis gatt ingeri GATTINGER’S GEARDIA Agalinis heterophylla PRAIRIE GERARDIA Agalinis purpurea PURPLE GERARDIA Agalinis tenuifolia NARROW-LEAVED GERARDIA Agalinis viridis GREEN GERARIDA Aletris aurea GOLDEN COLICROOT Aletris farinosa WHITE COLICROOT Allium canadense mobilense MEADOW GARLIC Amsonia glaberrima SMOOTH BLUE-STAR Amsonia tabernaemontana EASTERN BLUE-STAR Anemone berlandieri TEN-PETALLED ANEMONE Arnoglossum ovatum INDIAN PLANTAIN Asclepias lanceolata RED MILKWEED Asclepias longifolia LONG-LEAVED MILKWEED Asclepias obovata PINELAND MILKWEED Asclepias tuberosa BUTTERFLY WEED Asclepias verticillata WHORLED MILKWEED SAN JACINTO TEXAS HISTORIC DISTRICT CORRIDOR STANDARDS │ 155
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Partners Baytown Channelview Deer P
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4 │ INTRODUCTION
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SAN JACINTO HISTORIC DISTRICT The S
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NATURAL HISTORY At the time of Euro
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FIRST PRINCIPLES A set of First Pri
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1. 2. 3. 4. Committed Sponsorship T
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II. Design Scenarios SAN JACINTO TE
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FREEWAY Planning and design along f
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Freeway Corridor Profi le The Corri
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Freeway intersections are of intere
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FARM TO MARKET ROADS Corridor desig
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The Corridor Profi le below present
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MAIN STREETS Main Street corridors
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Main Streets provide a broader rang
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Main Street areas lend themselves t
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LOCAL ROADS Design standards for Lo
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Local Roads are less dense and less
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COMMUNITY GATEWAYS Community Gatewa
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Community Gateways take a variety o
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As formal entryways into communitie
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PROJECT STARS SITES Design standard
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Project Stars sites occur throughou
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Project Stars sites require additio
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50 │ SCENARIOS
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DESIGN ELEMENTS Design Elements ref
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DESIGN INSPIRATION IMAGE:FAUNGG@FLI
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PLANT LISTS Non-Native* SHRUBS Pitt
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TOP 10 TREES Ilex opaca AMERICAN HO
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ICONOGRAPHY NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT ST
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ICONOGRAPHY ICONS ■ The fi ve-poi
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LIGHTING Pedestrian Light (12’-15
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PAVERS Matrix #2088 Matrix #1914 Ma
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SITE FURNISHINGS Bike Rack ■ Indi
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FENCING Vinyl ‘Horse’ Fence ■
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FENCING Brick Column Option ■ Rep
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SIGNAGE Historic Street Signage ■
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GATEWAYS Morgan’s Point Estimated
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IV. Best Practices LA IN LI CI AM l
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LA 01 LA IN LI CI AM Design landsca
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LA 03 Whether planting along roads,
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LA 05 LA IN LI CI AM Minimize potab
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LA 07 LA IN LI CI AM Preserve exist
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LA 09 Street trees provide architec
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LA 11 LA IN LI CI AM Plant trees ap
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LA 13 LA IN LI CI AM Preserve and r
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INFRASTRUCTURE LA IN LI CI AM Our h
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Natural landforms provide visual in
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Permeable pavement used in parking
Page 103 and 104: Stormwater detention can be designe
Page 105 and 106: Native streamside buffer in a utili
Page 107: Landscaping and stormwater inlets c
Page 110 and 111: LI 01 LA IN LI CI AM Provide lighti
Page 112 and 113: LI 03 LA IN LI CI AM Incorporate li
Page 115 and 116: CIRCULATION Pedestrians and bicycli
Page 117 and 118: Curb bump outs help protect pedestr
Page 119 and 120: Separated bicycle paths are substan
Page 121: Indoor bicycle facilities. Covered
Page 124 and 125: AM 01 LA IN LI CI AM Create a netwo
Page 126 and 127: AM 03 LA IN LI CI AM Select furnish
Page 128 and 129: AM 05 LA IN LI CI AM Provide maps,
Page 130 and 131: 130 │ BEST PRACTICES
Page 133 and 134: APPENDIX A - STRATEGIES The San Jac
Page 135 and 136: Water resources can also be used as
Page 137 and 138: Cistern, overhead view. Cistern wit
Page 139 and 140: Guidelines for tree planting near u
Page 141 and 142: Installation of permeable pavers. P
Page 143 and 144: Volunteer installation of a parking
Page 145 and 146: Luminaires with various cutoff angl
Page 147 and 148: Caption for IMAGE shown above. High
Page 149 and 150: Accessible sidewalks with frequent
Page 151: Art, water, and landscaping work to
Page 156 and 157: Asclepias viridifl ora GREEN MILKWE
Page 158 and 159: Solidago sempervirens SEASIDE GOLDE
Page 160 and 161: Among the woody vines were: Ampelop
Page 162 and 163: Quercus nutt allii NUTTALL’S OAK
Page 165 and 166: APPENDIX C - BIKEWAY PLANS Appendix
Page 167 and 168: KENNINGS RD BARBERS HILL RD SH 330
Page 169: SAN JACINTO TEXAS HISTORIC DISTRICT
Page 172 and 173: Tools to consider for the San Jacin
Page 174 and 175: Regulatory Tools Regulatory Tools P
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design elements - San Jacinto Texas Historic District

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